First Marathon Training Plan

Who this is for.

This plan fits you if

This is your first marathon, or your first serious attempt at 42.2km.
You care about finishing, not a target time on the clock.
You are coming from a half marathon, or a 5K to 10K base, and want a structured long-run build.

This is not for you if

You already have a time in mind. Use the marathon plans instead.
You are still building up to a half marathon. Start with your first half marathon, then the half marathon plans.
You have run several marathons and want a PB. Pick a time-target plan on the hub.

How to train for your first marathon.

You do not need a homemade spreadsheet or a week-by-week guess. The existing no-time-target marathon plan is the training. The sessions live on that plan page.

Start the finish-focused plan

It is 16 weeks, free, and built to get you to 42.2km without a time target.
Keep the weekly shape

Most weeks have four runs, including a faster session, easy running, and a long run. Spread them out.
Protect the long run

Let the long run grow toward race distance. That is the session that makes race day feel possible.
Race to finish

On the day, get to 42.2km. Skip the watch target unless you already know you want one.

We learned this the hard way.

Training for the 2021 Sydney Marathon was a spreadsheet of sessions lifted from the internet, rewritten whenever life got in the way. We finished.

The lesson is the same one we learned on the half: stick to a plan and protect the long run. For a first marathon, race day is a finish, not a clock.

That story also lives on the about page.

Start the finish-focused plan

Open the No Time Target Marathon (16 weeks). Free on iOS and Android.

View the plan

Already have a time in mind? Browse marathon plans. Not ready for the full distance yet? Start with your first half marathon.

Pick a race.

The plan is the training. A race gives you the date to count back from.

FAQs.

How do I train for my first marathon?

Follow a finish-focused marathon plan rather than a time-target one. The plan is 16 weeks. Most weeks have four runs, including a faster session, easy running, and a long run. Long runs build toward race distance. Race day is about getting to the finish, not hitting a clock.

How long does it take to train for a first marathon?

16 weeks on Dangelo's no-time-target marathon plan. Start at week 1 if you can. If race day is closer, join later and keep the long run as the session you protect.

Do I need a time goal for my first marathon?

No. For a first marathon, finishing is the goal. Use the no-time-target marathon plan and run on effort. Pick a time-target plan only if you already have a finish time you want to chase.

How many days a week should I run?

The finish-focused marathon plan has four runs most weeks, including a faster session, easy running, and a long run. Spread them out so you have recovery between them.

What if I've only run a half or 10K?

A half marathon or a 10K is a normal base for a first marathon. The finish-focused plan builds the long run across the block. If you are still working up to a half, train for that first, then come back to the marathon.

Can I walk during my first marathon?

Yes. The no-time-target plan is effort-based, so a run/walk approach is fine. Use easy and long-run days at a pace you can hold a conversation. Save harder effort for the mid-week session.

What if I miss a run?

Skip it in the app and do the next session. If you need a few days off, pause the plan and come back when you are ready. Missed runs are dropped, not stacked onto the rest of the week.

Do workouts sync to Garmin or Coros?

Yes. Workouts on this plan sync to Garmin and Coros so the session is on your watch.

First Marathon Training Plan.